Richmond, Va Anarchist Jeremy Hawthorne sentenced today

What might have been Richmond’s most politically charged trial of 2012 ended quickly and quietly in the John Marshall Courts building today.

Officer (Cars) Down

Jeremy Hawthorne, member of the Wingnut Anarchist Collective in Barton Heights, received a felony sentence of one year in jail and a $1,300 fine today for allegedly slashing the tires of seven VCU police and security vehicles. The case was practically written for tabloid journalism “Anarchists Attack and Disable Police Cruisers” and I arrived at the courthouse expecting to hear as much about the anti-authoritarian politics of the Wingnuts during the trial as I did about whether Jeremy was actually guilty.

It was not to be. Minutes before the trial began, Jeremy’s court appointed attorney proposed that his residence at the Wingnut and its politics not be mentioned in front of the jury. She was worried that associating him with a high-profile anarchist group would affect the jury’s perception of him negatively. The prosecuting attorney would presumably love to bring the group’s not-so-subtle rhetoric into the courtroom as evidence against him.

Against expectation, the prosecution quickly agreed to the ban on politics, and what had been a powder keg was almost instantly robbed of any mainstream media relevance. Jeremy would soon be just another convicted felon.

To understand why the Commonwealth so readily agreed to omit politics from the trial and how that affected its outcome, a brief primer is in order…

He can receive letters and [five photographs per day], but there are lots of other restrictions on other types of items. Jeremy could also really use money for his commissary fund, so he can pay for stamps and write people back. Please consider donating, and contact us at theflyingbrick@riseup.net or call Pablo directly at 804-248-2496.

Thanks for all the support y’all, and please keep checking back here for updates on Jeremy, as well as the Ashley Williams case that has recently been getting publicity. A coalition has just been formed of community leaders that include current councilman Marty Jewell, former councilman Saad Al-Amin, VA State NAACP, and the Defenders for Freedom, Justice, and Equality.